Family Troubles
by jadeybean.hunter
Summary: Lola is told by her alchoholic mother that she will have a stepdad. She is faced with him on her own and tells him something but he takes it the wrong way and tries top hit her.


I am going to tell you my childhood story of me and my mum, where I've ended up is _definitely _a better place than it was last year. It all started when...

"Lola, get your bottom down here this instant young woman, I've got a present for you!" mum called out to me loud and clear, I rushed downstairs and then stopped, mum knows I don't like surprises so what in the world would she be talking about? I rushed downstairs with reluctant excitement all over my face. I saw mum holding a present in her hand, "Happy Birthday darling"

"Oh mum, I love it but...it was my birthday a week ago"

"Oh I know Lola, but I didn't get you anything then so, think of this as a very belated birthday present" she smiled and I frowned, "Baby, are you going to open it? Mummy spent ages on that..."

"You made it? Now there is something I _want _to see."

The pink paper was wrapped by mum in a light blue ribbon; the ribbon had sapphire crystals swirling around on it. The gift was fairly heavy and box-shaped, I thought it must be a book. Mum held it out to me, teary eyed, when I took it she patted my back and ran to the loo for some tissue roll, which is what I thought she was getting, instead she came out with _my_ Tatty Teddy box of tissues. If she had red eyes while she was crying and got my box of tissues from the bathroom _and_ is now filling up the rubbish-bin with the tissues, then this present must be extremely special. So, I carefully untied the beautiful, delicate ribbon and placed it on the table, I looked up at mum and smiled, my chin almost wobbling a little. Then, I unwrapped the pink paper, to see a white, lace covered box. "A box?" mum giggled slightly and took the box off of me, opening a little latch, which _of course_ I knew was there, inside was a pink, leather book with my name on it, and cute little, red rosebuds around my name. "What is it mum?" I asked, mum cheerfully wiped a tear from her eye and whispered "Open it" I obediently did exactly that. It was a photo album which had photos of mum and me. There was one where we went to Majorca, I was three then. All night, me and mum, laughed and cried at all of our family photos. Mum asked me at the end what I thought of it and I simply answered by giving her a big hug and crying, then all was silent.

"Hey, Baby? Lola, LOLA!" I suddenly woke up

"Mum, oh, mum, sorry mum I was asleep, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Lola, don't get mad but, um, oh Lola I just fancied a night out and it just happened so suddenly I..."

"What?"

"Lola, it was an offer I just couldn't refuse, I am getting married"

"You what!?" I couldn't feel my heart beating, it was like someone had just punched their hand through my chest and ripped out my heart, I hated her, "What happened to _I will never leave you alone Lola, _I hate you mum, I HATE YOU!" I ran downstairs and stomped into the living room, slamming the door shut, making it vibrate through the house. I ran around the table holding my head tight, thinking it would squeeze that information out but of course it didn't work so I sat down on the sofa and converted it into a bed. I lifted my knees off the floor and hugged them tight sobbing into my neat purple pyjamas. Mum must of came down and got inside because all I know was that I was sleeping beside her on the white leather sofa-bed that morning. "Lola? Lola? Wake up dear, it was a long night, last night babes, you need to get that weight lifted off of you before school" I simply stared and her, and opened my mouth into a perfect O. "Lola! For heaven's sake, close your mouth otherwise flies will get in!" I didn't listen, I just stared at her in astonishment, "LOLA! CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AND STOP STARING, YOU RUDE LITTLE GIRL!" we both gasped. I closed my mouth and put my head down closing my eyes at the shame of my horrible mother, "Mum how could you..." I didn't continue but mum did, "Lola, you have started being a very naughty girl and I am going to call up Paul and tell him to smack your bottom." As soon as she said Paul, I knew she meant my stepdad because of the way she said it. And she knew that I knew too. I didn't go to school that Monday because mum didn't believe me when I said I wouldn't tell anybody. Mum didn't go to work either so we were both bored, well, we were at least until she invited my brute of a stepdad. She said it was time to meet him and confide in our relationship (even though we don't even have one). When Paul came, mum squealed and bounced up and down, she clapped her hands with joy and ran to the door. Then a big fat man with scruffy hair and posh clothes walked in, "Paul?" I whispered, his booming voice made me jump so much, I fell on the floor, mum made me blush because she took it the wrong way but I felt angry, "Lola, listen I know he is handsome, but he is much too old for you!"

"Yeah, and much fatter too" I truly remarked

"LOLA! GO TO YOUR ROOM!" mum shouted,

Paul laughed and beckoned me to him, I did as I was told, "Men are supposed to be fat, that's part of our nature, see"

"Aww, babe you are so funny, do you mind if I just pop into work for a moment to tell them I'm off"

"Oh super, I'll just give her some dinner then or has she eaten already?"

"No, feed her" I couldn't believe her, she just left me there with some man I hardly knew. I was sitting on the opposite sofa to Paul, who was sitting with his feet up on the table and I thought that I'd teach him a lesson, "Hey, Paul?"

"What?" he replied, stuffing his face with _my_ packed lunch flapjacks,

"You are _not_ allowed to put your shoes on the table, mum said its bad table manners!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"My name is Lola and I am 11 years..."

"You little brat, come here..." I stood up as fast as I could and ran around the room, trying to get away from the beast that was chasing me. At first I thought it was a game, but then he caught me by the arm and pulled at it. Hard. I screamed as loud as I could but then he smacked me harder than mum slaps me and harder than you would be imagining he squeezed my cheeks and tears rolled down my cheeks prickling onto his hand, he shouted at me, picked me up (upside-down) ran up the stairs, letting me bang my head on each stair and threw me on mums bed, I didn't move but I kept my head buried in mums pillow holding my bleeding head, Paul was downstairs, I knew because I heard mum come in. I ran downstairs and hugged mum hard, "Mummy, please, please don't marry Paul" I cried "Look, look at my head, look what he done to me"

"What? Lola don't lie"

"Mummy, I swear on Nanny Gillian's life, he hurt me, he called me a little brat and he, he..." I trailed off, telling mum all of the horrible things that Brute done, while he was listening. Mum believed me and she got hurt too, but I didn't know what he done too her because he had locked me in mums room. Mum was getting hurt because of me! I cried and cried and banged and banged on the door but he wasn't having it. So I took mums phone and checked if the connection was still working, YES! It worked but I had no-one to call, no-one to run to. I heard mum scream and that made it worse, the police! But mum will kill me and I didn't want her to hate me. I looked through mum's phone book but all I could find was Aunt Jessie, Uncle Joe, Nana Pat and...Lola's dad. My dad? I had never met my dad before, only once, when mum and dad were getting a divorce. I chose to call him but I was scared, scared as an ant when getting squashed.

"Hello? "I said quietly,

"Louise, why are _you_ calling and why do you sound like a little girl?"

"Dad? Please dad don't cut me off"

"Lola? Hello honey, what's wrong why are you calling me when you should be at school, naughty girl" he sounded kind, I cried,

"Daddy, mums fiancé is here and he is hurting me, he is hurting mum right now and I can't help her because I am locked in her room, daddy? Daddy please"

"Baby girl, where are you?"

"At home" I sniffed

"I'm coming, don't move" it seemed like hours and hours from when I called him but when I thought about it, time seemed to move quicker. I was starving and I could still hear mum screaming, but it wasn't as muffed as before, I could hear every word they were saying. "Please, please don't hurt me, I won't tell anyone I promise"

"Yeah, what about that stupid daughter of yours, hmm? What about that ugly little brute that you have made, TELL ME!" I couldn't bear to listen, I pictured mum out there, hot and sweaty, blood all over her, hair out and frizzing everywhere and crying, thinking about me every moment of her abuse. BANG! I heard someone, falling down the stairs, I screamed "LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, and GIVE MY MUMMY BACK!" The door unlocked and I stepped back, suddenly feeling _very_ scared, like I was about to jump out of a window, it was dad! I ran to him and threw my arms around him, hugging him tight. He hugged me back, I almost forgot that he was kind of a stranger. "Where's mum?" I asked, starting to panic wildly, he picked me up, taking me over to the window, he nodded outside, and I looked. There was an ambulance outside of my house and an immense crowd around it, I saw Paul, going into car with two policemen, and mum, being wheeled into an ambulance, I cried and dad pulled me close to him but I forced myself away trying to run downstairs but he calmed me down, "Lola, do you want to go to the hospital after school tomorrow and check up on mummy, I'll look after you today don't worry"

Dad lied. He told me that we'd go to see mum but really it was me that needed the hospital. I didn't know what happened. I probably got knocked out. When I woke up, dad was by my side. With a pale lady, she had brown hair and, she looked like me. She had a horrible looking ring on her finger. It was mum, I jumped up but dad pushed me down, "You need some rest, I promised you, you could see mummy and she's here to see you but you have to lie down baby!"

"So now you call her baby after all these years Daniel!"

"It wasn't me, you didn't let me see her! What could I have done? Hey? Because you certainly wouldn't let me near her would you?" Dad turned around to look at me, he was about to argue something else but instead he said, "Lola? I'm just going to get me and your mum a cup of tea okay?"

"I don't want one!" Mum protested. The nurse looked at me, I knew she was going to say something about me not liking this arguing, "Excuse me, we think it would be better if you could discuss this outside. Our patients need all the peace and rest they can get!"

Mum shook her head, "Sorry baby"

Wednesday morning was alright because I got let out of the hospital though I needed to take some antibiotics for the pain and infectious cuts. The next day was Christmas and mum was coming home and even though you'd think I'd be delighted, which I was, I wasn't too happy. That morning I had pancakes and honey for breakfast but I didn't eat it, even though I love pancakes and honey. Dad was worried about me so he didn't send me to school. I sat in my room waiting for dad to come up and tell me that he was picking mum up. I waited hours. I was so bored. I played with my Barbie's but they got boring after a while. I got my iPod and listened to music for a while. Even that couldn't take my mind of things. I ran downstairs and went to ask dad if I could make some cupcakes for mum but he wasn't there! I looked around calling his name and looked outside too. No sign of him at all! There was a bit of the wrapping paper that mum had wrapped my present in. And some writing on it,

_Lola, I've just gone to get your mum. Got a big surprise for you! There is some juice in the fridge I just went out to buy. Love from daddy. KEEP THE HOUSE CLEAN!_

It was only one o clock and mum was supposed to come home at half past two. Dad probably got bored of sitting down watching TV.

I searched the fridge for some eggs, milk and butter. The fridge was packed with chocolates, cakes, biscuits, yoghurts, fruit, drinks and veg. The fridge has never been this packed…ever! I looked in the cupboards which were pretty much full of food, seasoning, flour, etc. There was a Barbie cake mix box right at the front. It had a little note on it.

_Lola, I knew you would find this, check the oven at half one, the cakes will be cooked then, all you have to do is decorate them. Lots of Love, Daddy._

It was 1:15. How long had he been gone? I sat in the living room and played with my hair for a bit and then noticed that the living room was a wreck. Mum would go ballistic if she saw the flat in a state like this! So I hovered, cleaned the dishes, washed the clothes, cleaned mine and my mum's room, polished the windows and sprayed some air freshener to make the house smell better. When I'd finished, the house looked as clean as a new pin. The smell of soft, golden cupcakes floated under my nose, I checked the time, dead on half one! I ran to the oven to find two trays of salubrious, golden, round cupcakes. Hot out of the oven. I decorated the cakes with little messages. I pasted pink for me, orange for mum and blue for dad. My ones said: _Best, Bright and Sweet._ Mums said:_ Best mummy ever._ Dads: _I'm happy that you stayed._

I heard a car horn outside the door and I wondered who it was. It might have been dad but it was only twenty to two. I put the kitchen utensils on the counter and cautiously walked up to the door.

_Knock Knock._

Uh Oh!

It was Joshua. He's in my class at Saturday school. Mum used to always drop me and him there when his mum was busy. Amanda, Josh's mum, and my mum are like sisters, they are like crossed fingers. Together all the time. I hid underneath the window ledge hoping Josh would go away. But then I heard dad and a push through the key hole. The door was open.

"Lola? Lola, are you upstairs? Go and check upstairs lad, put your bags in Lola's room and there is a toilet right next to her mums room"

"I know Mr, I've been here loads of times. But it's changed!"

"Oh, call me Daniel!" Dad said. Josh is an English boy with a Scottish accent. He has short blonde hair and a Justin Bieber fringe, he usually wears t-shirts, jeans and some black air forces. This, of course, is what he was wearing. I waited for Josh's surprisingly light footsteps running upstairs to jump out. "Dad!"

"There you are! Where did you jump out from!" Dad laughed and picked me up to spin me around,

"Oh, just from underneath the window ledge daddy, not a hard place to find me!"

"Oh, what will I do without you? Oh! Did you find the cup…"

"Cakes? Yeah, they're in the fridge, nice golden and iced up!"

"That's my girl! Your friend is upstairs, Josh?"

"Yeah. He goes to my Saturday School. Dad?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Where's mum? You wrote on your note that you were picking her up!"

"She's with Mandy"

"Mandy?"

"The nurse. They went for a walk in the park to see if she's stable enough to…"

"To?"

"I won't spoil it!" he exclaimed. I didn't want to be one of them annoying kids who go on and on. So I just left it at that. Though I really wanted to know what daddy meant. Josh came downstairs saying he was hungry so dad made us some salad and gave us some cranberry juice. "Don't spill that drink otherwise your mum will go mad!" dad said.

Josh finished before me and sat in the front room with dad watching football. I washed the dishes and cleaned up the house. Yet again! I ran upstairs to get my iPod and sat down in the living room next to dad. I cuddled him and sat really close, I got so comfortable that I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in my room tucked under the covers. Dad and Josh were in The Bored room playing Board games. The Bored room is a room that was a spare and we didn't know what to do with it so we made it a bored room. Inside there is the Wii, board games, mine and my mums DS, Xbox and my Barbie's. Silently, not disturbing dad and Josh, I tiptoed downstairs.

Knock Knock.

Mum! I jumped down the last 2 steps and ran to the big blue door, "Mu… Paul?"

"I'm here to see your dad squirt, I want no trouble, just let me in and all will be…"

"GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK OR I'LL TELL THE POLICE THAT YOU VISITED THE HOUSE!" I slammed the door shut in his face.

Dad ran down worriedly and asked what was wrong, I told him a lie, and I told him that it was some silly kids playing tricks.

"Lola?" he said seriously,

"Fine…It-it was…it was…it was Paul" I whispered,

"PAUL! What the flip was he doing here? _HE _AINT ALLOWED 'ERE!"

"Dad, don't get mad, I wanted to show him that I didn't need anyone to help me, I was brave dad, and anyway he didn't do anything. He seemed shocked, different to what I'd expected. He wanted to speak to _you_ but…"

"But what Lola?"

"But I knew you'd do what I'd done!" He looked at me with a straight face, just like mum used to do when I was naughty at Nanny Gillian's. I looked back at him teary eyed. I realised what I had just done. It was a good thing but, I shouldn't have spoken to him. I hugged him tight and asked if he was going to tell mum about it.

"I don't know Lola, Paul is a very dangerous man and if he'd have taken you or…"

"Dad. I know. I understand. Next time I will check through the peep hole first. Ok? Just please, please, please don't tell mummy?"

"O-o-ok then" he sighed and kissed my forehead. "Come, we'll eat some of your cupcakes." I smiled and then almost forgot, "Mum?"

"Right!" he said, "I'll call the hospital, you get out two little plates OK?"

I did. He did. And by the time I'd finished putting the cakes on the plates. Dad had come in to the room. A happy face telling me that mum would be her in a second is what I'd expected. Instead, a sad, disappointed face with tears in his eyes…No! No! NOOO! I ran into his arms and almost died,

"SHE CAN'T BE! SHES MY MUMMY!"

"I know, I know, baby!" Dad said with tears in his eyes. Josh ran downstairs with a frightened look on his face, "What?"

"Josh, I-I…Lola's mum, she's, she's dead."

"No! She can't!"

"I think its best you go home Josh, tell your mum the news" how could he be so calm?

_4 days later_

It was at mum's funeral when dad told me the surprise. They were going to get married. We found out the cause of mums death from Mandy. Mum had a broken rib from when she had fallen down the stairs. Also she had an infectious cut over her veins on her wrist which caused severe problems for her blood travel properly. Oh and me and dad are going to sprinkle mums ashes in Majorca. The first holiday we all had together. The place we stayed in with Nanny is for sale so dad is thinking of buying it. And dad has found a new girlfriend (nothing like Paul) who is like another mum to me. Her name is Stacey and she loves me to bits. She is expecting another little girl so I will have a little sister. We all decided to call her Louise. After mum.

THE END


End file.
